The Underground
by SparklingGem
Summary: When Arrietty finds out about the underground cities that borrowers live in, she does everything in her power to get there. When she turns fifteen her parents agree to let her go. With Spiller by her side, Arrietty gets to see a world of borrowers she never knew could exist.
1. Prologue

Prologue

About a week after Arrietty Clock left Shawn's house Spiller found them a new place to call home. It was down the street from the old house, and was on the same road that led to the city in one direction and the forest in the other. The house the Clocks had chosen was a simple two-story home. It provided a wide variety of borrowings. The beans that lived there were an old man and woman named Cybil and Henry.

Their grandchildren would visit every other weekend, and they always made a mess, which made it easier for the borrowers to take small things with them. _If _anything that had disappeared was noticeable borrowing, than the elderly beans would quickly rationalize that the children had lost it.

This made borrowing much easier, and provided a wider variety of borrowings for the Clock family. Despite this, Pod was always cautious and never borrowed too much at a time or anything too noticeable.

The Clocks had chosen a comfortable living space located in the ceiling above the kitchen. It provided room for a medium sized kitchen and dining room, three bedrooms; the Clocks had made a space for Spiller whenever he wanted to stay with them, a bathroom, and a nice sized store room. I was much smaller than their old home, but it was just as comfortable.

Arrietty was helping her mother unload their cups and plates when she heard something strange from Pod and Spiller's conversation.

"You're going to the Underground, then?" Pod asked as he began to unpack the quilts.

"Hn, for winter clothes." Spiller replied as he began storing the food. "Anything Pod want Spiller to bring back?"

Pod shook his head. "I didn't even know the cities still existed." Spiller nodded.

"What cities?" Arrietty asked, stepping closer to Pod. Spiller and Pod looked at each other for a moment.

Pod cleared his throat. "Some borrowers, like your mother and I, prefer to live in bean's houses and borrow the things we need to survive ourselves, but other borrowers live in cities with other borrowers. They own shops and trade for the things they need."

Arrietty felt her heart clench in anger for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know the cities still existed. Homily and I hadn't received word from other borrowers for so long that we didn't know if the cities were still around." Pod explained.

"But there are cities, right?" Arrietty asked, turning to Spiller.

"Hn." Spiller nodded.

Arrietty felt her heart leap. This would be her chance to meet other borrowers! "Oh Papa, can I go?" The small borrower clutched her hands to her chest.

Pod looked to Homily, who had a nervous expression on her face.

"When you're older Arrietty." Pod decided. Arrietty opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it. Instead she turned and continued to put the dishes away.

_How old is 'older'? _Arrietty wondered.

**This is just the prologue, so that's why it's this short. The actual chapters will be much longer. So far I plan to show a little love to the American dub since I don't think it's that bad, haha ':). Anyways, please review! ^_^**


	2. Presents

Chapter One: Presents

_~About one year later~_

Arrietty's eyes shot open. A grin spread across her face as she kicked off her blanket, which was really a large piece of cloth that had been torn from a mitten.

She maneuvered her way through the cluttered room. The floor was littered with articles of laundry that she still needed to put away and scraps of paper.

The small borrower sat in front of a shard of mirror as she raked a comb through her thick auburn hair.

_Today's the day! _Arrietty thought excitedly as she pulled open her dresser drawer. She searched through her various dresses and narrowed it down to three. A long sleeved calico dress that stopped right above her knees, or a dark green short sleeved dress that stopped around the middle of her shins. Arrietty nodded as she settled on her third choice. It was the perfect dress for her birthday. It was a pale blue and flowed down to her knees. She slid on a pair of soft gray flats that she only wore on special occasions. _Today's the day that I can ask. _Arrietty slipped out of her room and tip toed down the hallway to the kitchen.

Homily was standing with her back to the counter; she was talking to Pod, who was sitting at the kitchen table with…

"Spiller?" Arrietty cried, her voice hitched with joy as the hunter jumped to his feet. It had been two weeks since the last time she'd seen Spiller. He'd been gone on a long hunting trip to prepare for the winter. Arrietty flung her arms around his neck.

"Happy…. Birthday?" Spiller struggled with the final word. Arrietty smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." The two stepped apart.

"Spiller bring present for Arrietty." The rough looking boy said shyly pressing a messily wrapped gift into her hands.

"Thank you Spiller! But you didn't need to get me anything."

Spiller shook his head. "Spiller wanted to."

Arrietty grinned and opened the gift, and inside was a square broken off from a piece of a chocolate bar. The borrower girl's jaw dropped. Chocolate was one of the hardest things to borrow, it was easily noticed if a piece of it disappeared, Spiller must have worked hard to get such a wonderful gift.

"Oh thank you, thank you Spiller!" She cried joyfully clutching Spiller's dirt covered hand with her own. Spiller's cheeks flared red.

"Arrietty likes?" The hunter asked, the corners of his mouth turned up in a shy smile.

"It's so wonderful Spiller. I love it!" Arrietty gave Spiller's hand a squeeze before walking towards her parents.

"Happy birthday Arrietty!" Homily smiled, giving Arrietty a hug. Pod stood next to them and placed a hand on Arrietty's head.

"You've grown up so quickly." Arrietty smiled up at her father.

"So, what would you like for your birthday, Arrietty?" Homily asked. "Your father is going borrowing tonight, he'll get you your gift. What do you want the most?"

Arrietty straightened her back and folded her hands in front of her. "I want, more than anything…" Arrietty felt her stomach clench up. Homily's eye flicked over to Pod for a moment, but she quickly refocused her attention on Arrietty.

"Yes, Arrietty?" Pod asked. Spiller looked at Arrietty questioningly.

She took a deep breath, "I really want to go to the borrower cities!" she cried exasperatedly.

"What?" exclaimed Homily. Her hand flew to her heart and the color drained from her face. "But Arrietty… You're only fifteen! I- Oh… _Pod_." Homily turned to her husband and grabbed onto his shirtsleeve.

Pod looked deeply into Arrietty's eyes. She tried her best to look strong and capable of taking care of herself, but she only managed to look like she was in pain. "Arrietty, you know fifteen is the age most borrowers are considered adults?"

Arrietty nodded her head despite the fact that she'd never heard such a thing before.

Pod placed a reassuring hand on Homily's shoulder. "I think it's time Arrietty learned about which life she wants to lead, don't you?"

Homily turned towards Arrietty. She sighed and pulled Arrietty into a warm hug. "I suppose… But if you change your mind, or if you get scared you could always wait another year… or four. "

"Thanks Mama." Arrietty mumbled through Homily's shoulder. Homily pulled away and quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"But, I have one condition." Pod stepped in placing a hand on Spiller and Arrietty's shoulders. "I want Spiller to accompany you, if that's alright with you Spiller…"

Arrietty looked at Spiller pleadingly. His cheeks turned a light hue of pink before he quickly nodded.

Arrietty squealed with joy and flung her arms around her parents and Spiller. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed hopping up and down. "When can we leave?" Arrietty asked, pulling out of the hug.

"Well, since we're going borrowing tonight we can get enough for you and Spiller to rent a living space, but you'll probably need to get jobs while you're staying there." Pod answered as he pulled up a chair. "There's also the decision of how long you should stay in the city. Spiller, how far is the nearest city?"

"This many days by foot." Spiller raised up seven fingers, "If Spiller find quicker way… " He pulled down four fingers, now only three stood. "Then this many." Pod nodded.

"I think a month will be long enough for Arrietty to get a taste of the city, what do you think Homily?" Homily was wringing her hands nervously.

"A month is such a long time…" She looked at Arrietty "But…" Homily sighed deeply, and with a strained voice she said, " I think Arrietty can handle it." Arrietty clapped her hands together.

"What would be the best time to leave Spiller?" The rough looking borrower appeared to be deep in thought for a moment.

"Late tomorrow night."

Homily made a strangled sound in the back of her throat but she kept quiet. Arrietty nodded. "I'll start packing now." She jumped up from her seat at the table and made her way to her room.

"Spiller, will you go help her? Make sure she packs clothing that are… suitable for the city." Homily asked softly.

"Mom!" Arrietty whined as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"Well Spiller's been to the cities, he knows what things you'll need to pack." Homily explained.

"Fine." Arrietty sighed. She turned to Spiller and gave him a soft smile. "Come on." She led him down what could barely count as a hallway. Arrietty opened her bedroom door and Spiller stepped in nervously. It was a rarity that he ever went into Arrietty's room. It always made him feel shy. He didn't know very many women and he'd never felt for anyone the way he felt about Arrietty.

"Sorry, I know my room's messy." Arrietty laughed as she picked up scraps of paper, laundry, and petals that had fallen from the flowers she'd pinned to the walls.

Spiller shook his head; a small smile crept onto his lips. Arrietty grabbed the white bag she used when borrowing and placed it on her bed. She'd fill it with the borrowings she'd use to help pay for a living space.

Arrietty grabbed the green bag her family used when they were moving. The yellow polka dots were fading from being washed so many times by Homily.

She pulled out her sturdiest clothes. Arrietty turned to Spiller who'd been standing awkwardly in the corner. "You can sit on my bed if you want"

Spiller's eyes widened as he looked down at Arrietty's bed. He turned back to Arrietty and shook his head.

"Is it cold in the cities?" Arrietty asked as she tried to decide between two jackets.

"At night. Day is warm." Spiller answered. Arrietty nodded and packed both.

Arrietty packed several dresses and nightgowns. She hid her undergarments underneath a winter shawl and slipped them into the bag without Spiller noticing.

"Is there anything else that I should pack?" Arrietty asked as she packed the last of her necessary belongings.

"Hn" Spiller said, nodding. Arrietty carried the bag out to the kitchen and spotted her birthday gift on the table.

Arrietty snapped the bar of chocolate in half and turned to Spiller. "Here" she said handing him a half of the chocolate.

Spiller's brows furrowed as he gave her a puzzled look. "Is gift." He said uncertainly, as if he was worried he'd said the wrong words. He tried to give the chocolate back.

Arrietty shook her head; "It tastes sweeter when you have someone to share it with." She popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth. "Mmmmmm, delicious." She said.

Spiller looked at Arrietty through his hair. "Arrietty sure?"

"Mhmm"

Spiller smiled and placed the chocolate in his mouth.

"Good?" Arrietty asked.

Spiller nodded.

"Better than a cricket's leg?" She asked. Spiller pondered it for a moment.

"No. Cricket taste better."

Arrietty tipped her head back and laughed, which caused a wide grin to spread across Spiller's face, despite the fact that he didn't quite understand why she was laughing.

Pod came into the kitchen with a grappling hook in hand. "Arrietty, get ready to go borrowing."

Arrietty nodded, "Alright Papa." She turned to go to her room, but then she turned back towards Spiller. "You should come with us. It's been a while since you've gone borrowing with us."

Spiller looked to Pod for approval. Arrietty's father nodded with a smile on his face.

"Ok" Spiller grinned.

**Phew! I'm so tired! First chapters are always hard to write. I was a little worried if I was writing Arrietty's character correctly, for some reason it felt odd to me, but that could be because I haven't written her for a while ^_^'. Anywho, I'd like some feedback please :) Criticism, requests, whatever, just make sure you review! It's mean a lot to me! I'm going do the Review Responses for this story too! So, here we go!**

**JeremyX: I thought it was odd that so many people seemed to dislike the English, errr American dub. I thought it was pretty good. I got TSWOA on DVD for my birthday so I've been watching it, and I like the acting. Also, thank you! I appreciate the review!**

**yunadance6: I still don't know what " - " means, but I can only hope it means something good, haha. Either way, thanks for reviewing!**


	3. Borrowing

Chapter Two: Borrowing

Arrietty followed her father to the round hole in the wall that led from the small space in the ceiling where the Clock family lived to the narrow path between the walls.

Pod began the descent down the 'stairs', which were really just, nails protruding from the wood. Arrietty turned around to see how Spiller was doing. It was usually difficult for him to perform certain tasks, like sitting in a chair, because most of his life he'd been in the wild.

Surprisingly, Spiller stepped from nail to nail with ease. The rough looking borrower met eyes with Arrietty for a moment, he gave her a reassuring grin.

Arrietty felt her foot miss the next nail. The grin she'd had quickly disappeared as her body plummeted foreword. She didn't have enough time to cry out before Spiller caught her around the waist and pulled her up towards him.

"Arrietty ok?" He asked. Arrietty steadied herself and tried to ignore the fact that she and Spiller were now chest to chest, and their faces were so close that she could feel his breath on her cheeks.

The small borrower cleared her throat and straightened her back. "of course, thank you Spiller." Arrietty turned back and hurried down the rest of the steps. Pod was already to the ground waiting for them.

"This is the entrance to the kitchen," Pod, explained to Spiller, gesturing to the small hole in the wall. Spiller nodded and shifted his bow higher onto his shoulder. " I want you and Arrietty to climb on top of the counter to the bread basket, collect as many crumbs as you can. Then, if you have time before I get back, go to the dining room and get some candle wax and stray pieces of thread." Arrietty and Spiller nodded as they prepared their supplies.

"Where will you be going Papa?" Arrietty asked.

"The second level, your mother asked me to get some soap, tissue paper, and a button, if I find one."

Arrietty nodded, "Alright."

"We'll meet back here when the clock in the kitchen reads one o' clock."

Arrietty and Spiller nodded, then they made their way into the kitchen. Their feet padded lightly against the tile floor as they made their way to the fridge, which was nestled between a counter and the stove.

Arrietty held her grappling hook at the ready and began to swing the rope in a circular motion to gain momentum. She released the hook and watched it soar high above her head. She had to squint through the darkness to see the hook lodge itself in the wooden counter top. Arrietty then wrapped her hands around the long string and gave it a good tug. The hook didn't budge. Arrietty nodded in approval, then began to shimmy up the rope.

About halfway up Arrietty looked down to see where Spiller was. He'd disappeared!

"Spiller?" She called softly, looking around the room."

"Arrietty?" a gruff voice replied. The borrower looked up to see Spiller crouching on the countertop above her.

Arrietty's mouth dropped as she scrambled up the remaining length of the rope.

"How did you get up here?" She asked, while she tried to catch her breath. Spiller pulled the hook out of the counter top and handed it to Arrietty.

"Spiller good climber." He shrugged. "Almost like climbing trees."

"But trees have branches and vines you can grab onto." Argued Arrietty as they made their way to the woven breadbasket.

Spiller shrugged at her and gave her a shy grin.

"You know, " Arrietty began, as Spiller easily scaled the side of the bread basket. "You're pretty amazing, Spiller." Arrietty finished as Spiller helped her over the edge and into the breadbasket.

Spiller's cheeks grew slightly darker as he shook his head quickly. "No, just Spiller."

Arrietty cocked her head to the side. _Can't that be a reason why you're amazing?_ Arrietty shook her head and a small smile grew on her lips. "Well, then I guess that's what I like about you."

Spiller quickly looked away, but Arrietty was sure she saw a shy smile on his lips.

The pair couched down and picked up the breadcrumbs that littered the base of the basket. Arrietty made sure she left enough room in her bag for the candle wax and thread.

Spiller and Arrietty climbed back down to the floor, and then they made their way to the dining room. Two tall candlesticks stood at the center of the table.

Spiller easily climbed up the table leg, using just his hands and feet, despite the wood's smooth surface. Arrietty smiled up at him and waved. He waved back as Arrietty swung the grappling hook up to the tabletop.

As soon as she reached the top she saw Spiller beginning to carve off a glob of red wax that had melted, the cooled again. He placed it in the pouch attached to his belt. Arrietty unsheathed the pin she kept at her side and used the pointed tip to cut away the pieces of wax that the couple wouldn't notice had disappeared.

She then started looking at the tablecloth for stay threads. It was pretty old, and the edges were frayed. The stray threads were easy to pull out, and Arrietty placed them in her bag. "Do you think we have enough time to get some sugar?" Arrietty asked.

Spiller looked up at the clock at shook his head. "No, Pod waiting." Arrietty nodded and the two slid back down to the floor.

When they arrived at the opening to the stairway, Pod was already waiting for them, and he appeared to have gotten everything he'd needed too. "Good day for borrowing, huh?" Arrietty said as they began climbing up the nails to the house.

"Hmm" Pod nodded.

-x-x-x-

"Ah, thank goodness you're all home safe and sound!" Homily gushed as she helped Arrietty put away the borrowing equipment. "How were the borrowings tonight?" She asked Pod.

The gray haired borrower smiled and pressed the tissue paper into her hands, "I got what you asked for, and everything Spiller and Arrietty will need to get a living space."

"Well, thank goodness, I've got one less thing to worry about." She mumbled to herself as she poured everyone a cup of tea. "Oh Pod, I need you to help me in the store room with something."

Pod raised his eyebrow, but he got up non-the less and followed her out of the room.

Arrietty clutched the warm mug in her hands, trying to soak up the warmth. She spooned in several spoonfuls of sugar to make it sweet.

Spiller hadn't touched his tea; in fact he'd never tried it before.

"Why don't you try it?" Arrietty asked as she stirred the green liquid in her cup.

Spiller shook his head back and fourth. "Don't think Spiller will like."

"It's good." Arrietty coaxed, taking a sip of the tea. "Mama uses fresh herbs to make it."

"Spiller said same thing about cricket." He countered.

"That was different" Arrietty argued, pointing a finger at him.

"No. Is same." He grinned as he pushed the tea closer to Arrietty.

Arrietty suppressed a smile. "Fine, if you try the tea, I'll eat some cricket the next time you catch one."

"Hn." Spiller nodded, with his usual wide grin.

-x-x-x-

"What are we doing back here, Homily? Everything looks fine." Pod asked as he looked through the shelves of stored foods

"Shhh!" Homily hissed waving her hand at him as she peaked through the crack in the door

"What is it?" Pod asked, leaning over her shoulder.

"Oh Pod shush! They'll hear us."

"What are you talking about?"

"Spiller and Arrietty, I think they're about to have a moment!"

"A moment?"

"Yes! Like when we were courting." Homily gushed

"…We still have moments." Argued Pod as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled he close. He planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Oh stop that Pod, you're making me blush!" Homily giggled, "I think Spiller might be about to ask Arrietty if he can court her!"

"No." Replied Pod, shaking his head.

"What do you mean no? He's giving her his tea, like a real gentleman."

"Spiller would ask permission first."

"Does he have to? Are you going to say 'no' if he asks?"

"Of course not, I'd prefer Arrietty to marry a borrower like Spiller."

"Then why do you think he needs to ask?" Homily asked curiously

"That's just the kind of borrower he is."

"Oh, I suppose you're right" Homily sighed in agreement, "but they look so happy don't they?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Pod?"

"Hmm?"

"You know, I wouldn't mind some more moments." Homily said wrapping her arms around him.

"Me either." He smiled.

**So there's chapter two! I hope you liked it. Thanks to all the reviewers! I accept criticism, and requests! Please review!**

**yunadance6: I got you're PM! Thank you very much! Sorry the review posting thing wasn't working for you, I hope it gets fixed or something like that, haha.**

**Primrose: Hey! Thank you I'm glad you like this story and my previous one! It means a lot to me that you review!**

**MeikoSakine: I love Spiller/Arrietty too! They're like, my favorite couple now! Haha , and Tthanks for the follow! **


	4. The Beginning of the Journey

Chapter Three: Beginning of the Journey

Arrietty shifted her backpack into a more comfortable position. She and Spiller were standing outside after having said goodbye to Homily and Pod.

Homily had squeezed Arrietty tightly and reminded her to make sure she had vegetables with her dinner and if she wanted to come home early that was perfectly fine. Pod had given Arrietty a warm hug and whispered, "be safe."

Arrietty had nodded and assured him that she would. Spiller had given Homily and Pod an awkward hug before hurrying back to Arrietty.

They now stood hidden by blades of grass as Spiller led her through the yard. Spiller seemed to have no problem navigating through the darkness, but Arrietty felt herself stumbling every other moment.

At one point Arrietty had lost sight of Spiller through the tall forest of grass. "Spiller?" She called, panic hitching in her voice. She immediately tried to sprint ahead to find him, but she ended up running straight into his back.

"Oof!" Arrietty grunted as she landed on the ground. Spiller immediately turned around and helped her stand up.

"Arrietty ok?" He asked as he helped her dust off her dress.

"Yes, I'm alright." Arrietty replied as she tried to continue walking, but this resulted in her tripping again. Arrietty tried to hide her frustration as she stood up again with a huff.

"Here." Spiller said gruffly, offering her his hand. Arrietty felt her cheeks warm as she slipped her smooth hand into his rough, calloused one.

Spiller led Arrietty through the yard with ease, warning her if there was a rock or a hole. If she slipped he's quickly catch her around the waist and lift her back to her feet.

The pair stopped at the edge of a street. Spiller kept his hand firmly around Arrietty's as he listened for the rushing sound of a bean's car. After a moment or two before giving Arrietty a reassuring nod through the darkness.

Arrietty only saw the darkened shape of his head move before they darted across the long stretch of cement.

The two paused to catch their breath as Spiller looked up into the trees. Arrietty turned to him. "What are you looking for?" She asked.

"Shhh." Spiller replied, touching his finger to her lips. Arrietty felt her cheeks burn red.

Spiller led Arrietty to the base of a tree. "Can climb?" He asked pointing up to the branches above.

Arrietty nodded uncertainly. Spiller gave her hand a comforting squeeze as he gave her a lift onto the side of the tree.

Climbing was a little easier than she'd expected. The bark was easy to grab onto, and it made good stepping-stones and placed to hang onto.

Spiller was following close behind her, ready to catch her if she slipped. Eventually they reached a branch. Arrietty and Spiller sat down and wiped the sweat from their brows.

Arrietty let out a soft giggle. "That was fun" She whispered. Spiller gave her a wide grin.

"Arrietty like living outside?" He asked her seriously.

"Oh I love it!" She replied. Spiller nodded and became quiet.

"What's wrong?" Arrietty asked. Spiller shook his head quickly.

"Nothing wrong." Arrietty reluctantly didn't press him for an answer as she turned away.

"Get rest" Spiller said, standing up.

"But it's almost sunrise, don't we need to keep moving?" Arrietty asked.

"Spiller be back soon." He reassured her, placing a kind hand on Arrietty's shoulder.

Arrietty looked at him uncertainly as she leaned back against the trunk of the tree. "Ok…" she finally said, "Be safe." Spiller nodded before climbing up the tree again.

Arrietty watched him as long as she could, until the darkness enveloped him.

Arrietty sighed and looked up into the sky. The stars winked and glittered in the night. She made up shapes in the stars until she felt her head lolling to her shoulder, and before she knew it, she was in a deep sleep.

Several hours later, Arrietty began to stir. She rubbed her eye with the back of her hand, the she slowly sat up, yawning.

Arrietty opened her eyes. It was bright out, but it still appeared to be early morning. She began to stand up and straighten her dress when she saw it. A huge bird stood over her. It was red breasted and lightly hopped from foot to foot.

It cocked its head to the side and let out an earsplitting chirp. Arrietty leapt to her feet and began to back away, only to walk straight into the trunk. The massive bird moved closer to Arrietty.

Her heart thumped hard against her chest. Sweat began to stream down the side of her face. The bird began to lean closer to Arrietty's face.

"Aghhh!" Arrietty shrieked as she looked up into the bird's black, beady eyes. "Sp- Spiller!" She shrieked as her eyes slammed shut.

"Arrietty?" Spiller asked calmly. He jumped down from the branch above.

"Spiller! Run!" Arrietty shrieked, grabbing him by the arm.

"What wrong, what wrong?" Spiller exclaimed.

"Bird! Run-" Arrietty frantically tried to pull Spiller off the branch.

Spiller's face relaxed with understanding. "Arrietty, is ok." He said, firmly grabbing her by the shoulders.

"What are you talking about?" Arrietty asked.

"Spiller catch bird."

"You caught the bird? How?"

"Spiller take rope," He explained, gesturing with his hands, "and looped it around bird's head. He pointed to a rope that was laced around the beak and head. It had enough room of string left for Spiller to be able to guide the bird in whatever direction he wanted.

"That's so… Amazing Spiller!" Arrietty exclaimed, lightly touching his arm. Spiller blushed and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"This is how we get to The Underground." He said.

"Really?!" Arrietty tried to contain a squeal. "I really get to fly?" Spiller gave her a shy nod.

Arrietty jumped from one foot to the other. "Oh thank you, Spiller!" She gave him a quick hug. "When do we set off?"

"After breakfast." Spiller said. Arrietty nodded eagerly, until she saw what Spiller pulled out from under his fur cloak. It was a dark green, spindly, cricket's leg.

"Oh no…" Arrietty laughed. Spiller nodded.

"You promised." Spiller said as he pulled out his carving knife and began to hack of two pieces. He handed the first to Arrietty, who looked down at it with disgust. Her stomach began to churn.

Spiller took his own slice and took a large bite. It crunched loudly beneath his teeth with each bite.

Arrietty looked down at the pale green meat covered by a hard dark green shell. She took a deep breath before sinking her teeth deep into the crunching cricket.

She winced as juices exploded with each bite. Spiller looked at her intently as she chewed. After a moment of chewing Arrietty realized something, cricket doesn't taste that bad, in fact, it's kind of good.

Arrietty gave Spiller a reassuring nod, "It's pretty good, its flavor is something I can't quite place, but it's very…"

"Fresh?" Spiller added, cutting himself another slice.

"Yea." Arrietty agreed, taking another bite. Spiller gave her a knowing grin and finished the rest of his cricket, then stored the rest away for a later meal.

Arrietty stood up and pulled the backpack onto her shoulders, along with her white borrowing bag. Spiller took his own pack and led her to the bird that looked at them curiously.

"Spiller get on first, then help Arrietty up." He said as he mounted the winged creature with ease.

Now that Arrietty was about to get on the bird, she began to feel her nerves kicking in. "Are you sure it's safe?" She asked uncertainly as her stomach churned.

Spiller's dark eyes grew soft as he reached down towards her. "Spiller promise, Arrietty be safe." Just looking in Spiller's eyes gave Arrietty a renewed sense of reassurance. She took a deep breath and reached up to him.

Their hands slipped together like puzzle pieces as he pulled her on behind him.

Arrietty let her arms slide around his waist. At the moment, she couldn't she his cheeks flare up.

When Spiller had a firm grip on the bird's reigns, he led the great creature to the edge of the branch.

For a moment Arrietty looked down, that was a mistake. They were high above the ground, if one of them fell it would mean certain death. Before Arrietty could stop herself she buried her head in Spiller's back.

His pelt was soft, Arrietty tried to pretend that she was at home, in bed, just starting to wake up, and not hundreds of inches above the ground. Arrietty wound her fists tightly around Spiller's fur.

"Ready?" Spiller asked, glancing back at her.

"Mmrm" Arrietty mumbled from Spiller's back.

Spiller let out a quiet chuckle before giving the bird a light push off the edge. For a moment his stomach flew straight to his throat. He could heart Arrietty shrieking, and clinging tightly to him as they plummeted.

Then, the bird opened its wings and the wind filled them. They were soaring high above the branches; it would be impossible for a bean to see them from here.

Spiller easily guided the bird in the direction of The Underground.

After a few minutes Spiller gave Arrietty a gentle nudge with his elbow. "What?" Arrietty asked, her head still buried in his back.

"Look." Spiller said, gesturing to the sky. Arrietty meekly peeked out, and instantly her face lit up. The wind tousled her hair as the rode the wind currents across the sky.

"Oh Spiller this is amazing!" She exclaimed as she looked down to the houses below. "Do you think this is what we look like to beans?" She asked, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear.

Spiller grunted, trying to hide his smile. He turned to pretend he was guiding the bird some more. It was worth the extra work of catching the bird to see Arrietty this happy.

Spiller snuck one last glance. Her gaze was fixated on the ground below, a bright smile on her face.

He felt the corners of his mouth turn up. Definitely worth it

**Thank you for reading! Please review, it helps motivate me to keep writing! I'll be leaving for the lake with my friends in a few days so you might not get an update for like, a week and a half. Ha ha, sorry about that. Anyways, Time for review responses! **

**PessimistGirl: It's great that you got an account! I got your PM by the way, I love the story you recommended for me! I love A:tLA And thank you, I worked hard on the Homily/Pod bit :)**

**JeremyX: I'm glad you like this story, especially since you aren't a Spiller/Arrietty fan. It means a lot to me, thank you!**


	5. In The Heart

Chapter Four: In the Heart

Spiller made sure the bird was securely bound to a branch before he joined Arrietty by the fire.

The sun had set quickly, leaving the campfire as the only source of light and warmth for the night.

The flight had been easy that day, the wind currents had been on their side and had carried them farther than expected. The bird was mellow and never tried to throw them, and it didn't hurt that Spiller had taken extra time to find a bird that was calm and willing to be ridden.

The long day of flying had left both of them tired and a little sore. He flopped down onto the ground next to Arrietty and gently poked the fire with a broken pine needle.

Arrietty's cheeks were pink from the rush of flight, and her eyes shined with excitement. Spiller pulled out the last piece of leftover cricket from his pouch and handed it to Arrietty. "Want some?" He asked.

Arrietty smiled gratefully and took the cricket from him, but her brow furrowed when she saw that Spiller didn't have anything to eat. "Aren't you hungry?" She asked.

Spiller shook his head quickly, but he blushed when his stomach growled in protest. Arrietty tipped her head back and laughed. Spiller loved the way her face seemed to glow when she laughed.

Arrietty extended her hand towards him. "Could I borrow your knife?" Spiller nodded and unsheathed his weapon, handing it to her.

"Careful, is sharp." Spiller cautioned.

"Don't worry." Arrietty assured as she carved through the cricket leg. "I'm not as helpless as you might think, I did rescue mama from a 'bean', you know." She handed one of the halves to Spiller.

"Spiller don't think Arrietty helpless." The rough borrower's brows furrowed. "Spiller just want to keep Arrietty safe." Arrietty's eyes softened.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Is ok."

There was a moment of silence. Arrietty nervously took a bite of the cricket leg. "Spiller-" She started as she turned towards him. But Spiller stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

Arrietty looked down at Spiller's dirt covered hands, and then turned her face up towards his. They were so close. Arrietty felt his breath on her cheek. For a split second she thought he was going to kiss her. Arrietty's eye's fluttered shut and she puckered her lips just barely.

But instead she felt Spiller's warm cheek brush against her own. He lightly touched her forearms with his hands, almost like he was afraid.

"Spiller?" Arrietty asked. She pulled away lightly so she could look into his eyes. Spiller's back straightened as soon as he realized what he'd been doing. He immediately scooted away from Arrietty, his face turning red.

"S-sorry." He stuttered. Arrietty looked at Spiller with concern. It wasn't like him to be so… nervous. Arrietty tried to move closer to Spiller.

"Spiller, what's wrong?" Arrietty asked, Spiller kept his face turned away from her, looking deep into the burning embers of the fire. Despite this, Arrietty gently took his face in her hands and turned his head towards her.

Spiller looked… sad. His eyes were weary and he had a strange expression on his face. "Please," Arrietty whispered. "Talk to me."

Spiller sighed and looked back into the fire. For a moment, Arrietty thought he wasn't going to tell her what was upsetting him, but then he spoke.

"Arrietty know Spiller have no family." He looked to her, and Arrietty nodded. Spiller had told her that when they'd first met. "But Spiller doesn't remember family at all, but Spiller thought it was ok, because now Spiller has family." He looked at Arrietty, whose heart somehow felt lighter after he'd told her that.

"But sometimes Spiller worry bad thing happen to Arrietty, or Pod, or Homily." Spiller stared hard into the flames. "And when Spiller thinks of those things, he becomes afraid."

The dying firelight gave off and orange glow on the pair. Arrietty had pulled her knees up to her chest as she listened to Spiller.

"Spiller becomes afraid of being alone again, and never seeing Arrietty again." He looked to the borrower girl in front of him. "Spiller worries that if something happen, that Arrietty will never know how Spiller feel."

Arrietty's heart skipped a beat, she could see Spiller's red cheeks, even in the dim light, and Arrietty knew that her cheeks looked exactly the same. Arrietty reached out and intertwined her fingers with his. The two looked deeply into each other's eyes. The light from the embers flickered in their eyes.

There was something about being so alone together, in the wilderness, far away from everything. It gave Arrietty a freedom that she'd never known before, and being with Spiller had raised so many questions for her.

How did she see Spiller? A friend? A brother? Or… Arrietty blushed at the thought. How did Spiller see her? What did he think when he first met her? What does he think of her now?

Being alone with Spiller made her forget about Shawn, and the longing she had for her friend.

When Spiller was alone with Arrietty, the loneliness he'd felt for so long dissipated, like he had never been alone in his life. Spiller felt Arrietty's cool finger bringing his face towards hers.

Gently they touched foreheads. "I used to think my parents and I were the only borrowers left." Arrietty's voice cracked. "But then I found you," she whispered. "And I knew I didn't have to be afraid anymore."

Arrietty lifted her hands from her sides and wrapped them around Spiller's shoulders. "And neither do you," She whispered in his ear. "Because I'll always be right here." Arrietty took one of her hands and pressed her palm against Spiller's chest, right above his heart.

Warm tears formed in the corners of Arrietty's eyes and slid down her cheeks. Arrietty quickly looked away and tried to hide the fact that she was crying. Spiller's face suddenly changed, he gently wiped the tears away and tilted Arrietty's face up towards his.

"Spiller always be…" Spiller tentatively placed his hand over Arrietty's heart. "Right here." Arrietty looked up and smiled at Spiller. In any other situation, or with any other person, this would be considered very dishonorable, especially since the two weren't betrothed. However, in this case, it was different. It was a mutual agreement, or a shared feeling. It was a promise.

The two pulled away. Arrietty was shocked to see Spiller's eyes seeming more shiny than usual, but he smiled anyways. The last of the fire burned out, surrounding them in darkness.

A breeze shifted through the grass, lifting dirt and twigs into the air, and sending chills up Arrietty's spine.

The small girl shivered and wrapped her arms around her small frame, trying to contain her body heat. Spiller chuckled lightly and draped his arm over her shoulders, along with his fur pelt.

Arrietty's shivers instantly stopped. She nuzzled into Spiller's shoulder, and soon, her soft even breaths told Spiller that she'd fallen asleep.

The hunter tipped his head up to the dark sky.

Tiny stars twinkled and glittered in the night, even though the cold darkness surrounded them, it only seemed to make the stars shine brighter.

For so long Spiller had been in that darkness, alone, but then Arrietty, his star, led him to a home. He had good reason to be nervous of going back to the cities, but no need to be afraid, because Arrietty was right here. Right in his arms, and even if the were apart she'd be nestled safely in his heart.

**I'm liking this chapter, at first I was like 'ehhh' but now… I like it :) haha. Sorry about the late update, but if you read my last Author's Note, then you'll know I was at the lake, which was BEYOND fun! Anyhow, please review it really does motivate me to update quicker, and I LOVE hearing from you guys! Complements, Criticism, Ideas, anything :) I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading (and reviewing?). It means the world to me.**

**One other thing, I've noticed that I get a lot of reads from other countries… If you can't write a review in English I will translate it and try to reply the best I can, I really do want to hear what you have to say :) **

**PessimistGirl: Thank you! I love that you think that they're cute, haha. Oh, and thank you again, I did have lots of fun at the lake!**

**Cat-Stat-Ave: I'm glad you love the story, and I love your idea! It's fabulous! The moment I read your comment I was like, Oh. My. God. Yes!" So thank you! **

**IMPORTANT: I've noticed their aren't many fanfics for this category, especially for Spiller/Arrietty, (SpilleRietty?) So if you have an idea, don't be afraid, go for it. Tell me about your story, and I'll check it out! Lets try to get Spiller/Arrietty some more love! :D**

**Thanks again!**


	6. Attacked!

Chapter Five: Attacked!

The next day, Spiller and Arrietty decided to let the bird go. They were within walking distance to the cities, and the bird would frighten other borrowers if it got too close.

As the bird flapped its wings and took off, soaring into the sky, Arrietty felt a slight pang of sadness. She didn't know how long it would be until she could go flying again, and even though she'd only done it a few times, it was already one of her favorite things to do.

"We should be in borrower city before dark." Spiller explained while adjusting the pack on his shoulders. He wasn't used to carrying something so large on his back, it made him nervous, and if they were attacked his movements would be limited to the giant bag weighing him down.

While Arrietty's bag was no smaller than Spiller's, she seemed to be having a easier time, probably because she didn't know about how carrying a huge green and yellow polka dotted bag could be a huge setback during a skirmish.

"So, Spiller, tell me about the cities." Arrietty said as pushed blades of grass out of her face.

Spiller paused to help Arrietty step over a tall stick blocking their path. "Bright," He said as they continued moving through the brush. "Even at night."

Arrietty tried to imagine what it would be like living in a place where everything was always bright. She didn't know how they managed to fall asleep if it was always bright.

"What about the borrowers?" She asked, darting up to Spiller who'd gotten ahead of her.

"What mean?" Spiller asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"How many are there?"

Spiller paused for a moment and looked up towards the sky, inwardly counting. "More than Spiller could count." He decided.

Arrietty's feet bounced as she clapped her hands together. "This is so exciting, isn't it Spiller?"

Spiller gave her a small smile, but didn't say anything. As Arrietty began her next question, Spiller heard something snap in the bushes.

Spiller immediately drew his bow and pointed it in the direction he'd heard the sound.

"Spiller, what is it?" Arrietty asked, as her heartbeat quickened. Her eyes darted from left to right as she drew her pin.

There was a long pause; there were no sounds except for the wind rustling the leaves.

Slowly Arrietty lowered her arm. "I don't think anything's here." Just as she was about to sheath her pin a thundering noise erupted from the forest.

A huge furry creature barreled through the tall grass, leaping onto Arrietty and using its dirty paws to pin her to the ground. Arrietty let out a cry of panic as the creature's long claws began to sink through the backpack's straps, near her shoulders. She looked up into a pair of watery black eyes and yellowing teeth. As the creature's body lunged foreword, in an attempt to bite Arrietty in the neck, she saw the bottom two were twice as long as the top. Pod had taught Arrietty long ago how to identify creatures like this. It was a rat.

"Arrietty!" Spiller shouted before leaping foreword and pouncing on the rat's back, Spiller used all of his strength to knock the rat off of Arrietty.

The two rolled around in the dust, fighting to kill. The great rodent snarled and threw Spiller off his back. Spiller tumbled onto the dust, and landed hard on his back. After that, Spiller didn't move.

The beast lumbered towards Spiller, its eyes glinted darkly. "No!" Shouted Arrietty. Throwing the bag off of her shoulders and raising her pin.

The rat looked at her, almost like he was annoyed. Arrietty let out a shout as she charged at the monster. This time the rat gave her his full attention.

The rat stood on his hind legs and used his paws to try and swipe her away. Arrietty darted away from his long claws and got close enough to stab the rat right above one of his hind legs.

The creature squealed and slapped her away with the back of his paw. Arrietty flew through the air and landed hard on her left shoulder. Arrietty screamed in agony as she heard a sickening pop. Then, a splitting pain shot through her shoulder, and it continued down her back.

Arrietty swore she felt her heart stop. She was having trouble breathing, and she couldn't move her arm! Arrietty felt tears sting her eyes.

Her eye flitted up and she could see the rat standing above her. Its sour breath burned her nose as its lips pulled back to reveal the slimy, yellow teeth.

Arrietty took a shaky and painful breath and managed to cry out, "Spiller!"

At that exact moment, Spiller had woken up. His head was throbbing and his vision was blurred, but he could see the rat standing over Arrietty. Something inside him snapped. Spiller immediately stood up and drew his bow. He took aim at the creature's throat and let the arrow fly. It hit its mark.

The rat squealed in pain before falling to his side, dead. Spiller stumbled up to where Arrietty lay, tears streaked down her dirt covered face.

"Arrietty," he whispered trying to wrap his arms around her without hurting her. Spiller's hand brushed her left shoulder and Arrietty gasped in pain.

Spiller quickly examined Arrietty's shoulder, and it looked disfigured. Almost like someone had just pushed her shoulder into Arrietty's body.

He quickly realized that Arrietty's shoulder had been dislocated. Spiller looked up at Arrietty's face and brushed away the stray strands of hair that stuck to her face. "Spiller… you're alright." She whispered, using her good arm to touch his cheek with her hand. Spiller nodded and held her hand to his cheek.

"Spiller sorry," He whispered, his voice cracking. Arrietty quickly shook her head.

"No, you saved me." She smiled.

"Spiller fix." He said gently taking Arrietty's injured shoulder in his hands.

Arrietty looked at him nervously but allowed him to hold onto her shoulder. "Might hurt." Spiller said. Arrietty nodded and braced herself.

With a quick movement and a snap, Spiller had easily popped the Arrietty's shoulder back in place. Arrietty had made a small whimpering sound when the arm slid back in its socket, but after that, her shoulder didn't hurt at all.

Arrietty took a few breaths and sat up, wincing at the slight pain in her shoulder. She quickly smiled and held Spiller's hand in her own.

"Thank you." Arrietty whispered as she gave Spiller's hand a squeeze.

Spiller shook his head. "Spiller should thank Arrietty." Spiller's cheeks turned red as he lifted Arrietty's hand to his lips and planted a shy kiss on her knuckle.

Arrietty tried to hide a blush, but couldn't contain a small girlish giggle.

Spiller gave her a wide smile before helping her up. Arrietty dusted off her dress with her right hand, since her whole left shoulder and arm were sore.

Arrietty reached for her bag, but Spiller quickly pulled it away from her and put it on his own back. "Be there soon." Spiller said as he walked towards the dead rat. He yanked Arrietty's pin out of the rodent's leg.

Its once clean metal was now covered in sticky, red blood. Spiller quickly wiped the blood off the pin and gave it to Arrietty, who slipped it back through the fabric of her dress.

Spiller looked up at the sky nervously before leading Arrietty back on the path to the cities.

It was a quiet walk from then on. Both Spiller and Arrietty were feeling a little shaken up after the encounter with the mouse, after all, it's not everyday you almost see your best friend die.

Neither one of them knew what to make of the kiss, even if it was just a kiss on the hand. Spiller was much more alert now and he always kept his bow at the ready.

Arrietty's shoulder had a dull throbbing pain in it, almost like the headache one gets during a fever. Her white borrowing bag was on her right shoulder, so she could still carry it, but she still felt immense guilt every time she saw Spiller lumbering next to her.

Soon they came to an opening.

They pair stepped out of the grass and onto a strange long, gray, and flat stone. Arrietty examined it; every now and then there was a straight grove across the slab of rock where ants had made little hills.

"Arrietty," Spiller whispered. The girl looked up and darted over to Spiller who was pointing over the edge of the gray rock.

Arrietty looked over the edge and saw a large opening in its side, a little farther from the opening was a long black slab of stone with yellow lines dotted across it. Spiller took Arrietty's hand in his.

"Jump." Ha said. Arrietty nodded and they leaped onto the black stone, narrowly avoiding the hole.

Arrietty straightened up and turned towards Spiller, "now what?" she asked.

"Jump down." He said, pointing at the hole in the gray rock. Arrietty looked at him nervously. "Trust Spiller." He assured taking her hand once again and leading her to the opening. Arrietty looked into the darkness and held onto Spiller's hand more tightly.

Spiller gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before they both jumping off the edge. Arrietty hung on tightly to Spiller as her heart tightened. Then their feet hit the ground.

_That was… painless._ Arrietty realized as she straightened up, still holding onto Spiller's hand. Spiller smiled at her and pointed down a long dark path that looked as if it had been cut through the stone walls. Arrietty squinted and could make out a soft glow in the distance, she gasped quietly, "the Underground." She whispered.

**There it is! I hope you like it :D My goal is to get 5 reviews for this chapter, but I need help from you guys with that :). On another note, have any of you read "The Black Games" by Mrs. Pettyfer? I you're a Zutara fan I'd recommend it :) Anyways, she does this thing where if she gets a certain number of reviews, she'll let you ask a character in the story a question, and the character will answer it. Would you guys be interested in doing that? tell me if you would :) **

**R/R **

**PessimistGirl: haha, thank you! No worries, I don't think you use the word cute too much :D**

**zabchan: Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me :) **


	7. The City

Chapter Six: The City

Arrietty sprinted forward at full speed, a large grin spreading across her face. They were here at last!

Arrietty felt a hand wrap around her wrist and pull her back. She turned face-to-face with Spiller. His dark brows furrowed as he looked at her seriously.

"Arrietty stay close to Spiller." His voice rumbled. Arrietty turned back to the glowing city. The very _big _glowing city. She slowly began to feel her nerves kicking in. Arrietty had only met one other borrower in her life, Spiller, so what if the other borrowers didn't like her?

She felt Spiller's warm, rough fingers slide into Arrietty's. "We'll go together." He gave her a reassuring smile. Arrietty felt her lips pull up.

"Alright." Even though Arrietty could still feel her nerves swirling in the pit of her stomach, she felt safe with Spiller; with him by her side she could do anything.

They began walking toward the glowing Underground. From a distance, Arrietty could make out the shape of a gate surrounding the city with two guards standing watch at the entrance. They were both fully-grown borrowers, maybe around Pod's age. They also held pushpins in both hands, along with long pointed needles strapped to their waists.

The guard's eyes immediately fell on Spiller. Their brows creased into a 'V' as they examined his dirt covered tunic and fur. Their lips quirked into a sneer as they saw the white paint streaked on his cheeks.

"What business do you have here?" One of them asked crossing his arms.

Arrietty turned to look at Spiller. His eyebrows were furrowed and the edges of his lips were turned down slightly, making him almost look determined.

"Moving to city." Spiller replied. Arrietty felt his fingers tighten slightly as the guards snickered at his grammar.

"Oh really?" One guard snickered, looking at Spiller like he was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

Arrietty found herself beginning to glare, anger rose in her chest, how dare they treat Spiller like that! "Yes." Arrietty interjected, giving Spiller's hand a firm squeeze. The guards turned to look at her with bemused expressions. "And right now we really need to get going." Arrietty began to pull Spiller through the gates before one of the guards stepped in front of her.

It wasn't until then that Arrietty realized how much bigger this guard was than her. His lips curled into a crooked grin and his sour breath wafted into her face with each chuckle. His low voice rumbled, "Well, aren't you a feisty little miss?" He reached out and stroked Arrietty's jaw line with his finger.

Arrietty yanked her head away and prepared to pull out her pin, but Spiller beat her to it. In a millisecond Spiller had released Arrietty's hand and drawn his bow, pointing it directly at the guard's face, his face contorted with anger. "Back." Spiller snarled.

The guard's eyes widened with panic for a moment before he regained his composure. He stepped back, a glare on his face. "Like I would wanna do anythin' with her." He gestured to Arrietty. "She's barely got anythin' worth want'n." The guard's eyes fell to Arrietty's chest.

Arrietty's cheeks burned with embarrassment as she quickly crossed her arms across her chest. Spiller said nothing and simply took Arrietty's hand and led her through the gates.

At first the buildings were small and very spread out, but as they drew closer into the Underground Arrietty noticed the lights and colors growing brighter along with the buildings growing taller.

Arrietty stole a glance at Spiller, his eyes were alert and he had a focused expression, but Arrietty could tell that there was something on his mind.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then decided better of it. Spiller clearly didn't want to talk about the guards right now.

Instead, Arrietty pulled Spiller closer and moved their arms so that instead of holding hands, they were linking arms. Arrietty let her head rest slightly on his shoulder and she felt Spiller relax. She smiled contentedly as they continued walking.

As the streets became more crowded Arrietty was forced to lift her head up to see where she was going, she was amazed at what she saw.

Hundreds, _hundreds_ of borrowers surrounded her! Some had lighter skin like her; others had even darker skin than Spiller.

They wore neatly sewn clothes out of nice cloth with buttons and ribbon as decoration; Arrietty's family had never had the luxury of using ribbon on clothes. It was easily noticed if it disappeared, and if they _did _borrow a small amount of it they used it to tie things together or give it to Spiller to trade at the cities for more food.

Arrietty felt her mouth drop as she saw a couple of girls her age wearing beautiful dresses with calico and rose patterns. Each had their own borrower-sized buttons securing the fabrics. Those had to be from a dollhouse Arrietty was sure of it.

Arrietty tugged lightly on Spiller's hand, "Spiller, they're wearing doll's clothes!"

"Spiller knows." He replied as he led her through the crowd. " They don't borrow clothes. They buy." Arrietty nodded and pressed closer to Spiller as grubby looking borrower with stubble and several missing teeth bumped into her.

"Watch it." The borrower grunted as her pushed past her.

"Sorry." Arrietty mumbled readjusting the straps on her backpack and stood closer to Spiller.

They turned past a few streets; Arrietty noticed Spiller avoided all the allies that they passed.

They came into a sort of market place. Borrowers stood behind tables covered with beads, food, cloth, homemade candles, and even some necklaces. A cacophony of voices shouted about how good their deals were, and how you _need_ this silk thread.

"Do you know where we're going to stay?" Arrietty asked. Spiller nodded and pointed to a building with several windows and a sign standing by the entrance. It read, _Nally's Place_.

Spiller pushed open the front door. Off to the left there were several tables spread out through the room where borrowers were eating as several girls carrying rounded pieces of plastic with food on them. To the right was a dark, roped of area where tables were set up around a stage. There was a sign dangling from the rope that said, 'open at nightfall.'

This puzzled Arrietty, how could it be nightfall if there was no sun? When she asked Spiller about it he pointed to a switch similar to that in a bean's house. "Borrower there track time. At this time." Spiller lifted his hand to show five fingers. "Lights go on or off." Arrietty nodded. _They created an artificial cycle_. She smiled at their cleverness.

"If you're just standing there then you better leave." A scratchy voice chided at them. The pair turned to see an old, hunched over man with gray hair and a leathery face.

"Came for living space." Spiller said. The old man raised his eyebows and licked his chapped lips before speaking again.

"Got any good borrowings to pay with?" Spiller nodded and pulled out the grape from one of the packs.

"Have crumbs too."

"And we have wax and string that a can use to make candles." Arrietty chimed in. The old man nodded.

"The grape'll do fine for up front payment. You'll need to make light for yourself, I don't provide that."

The old borrower's eyes flitted to Spiller, "This girl your wife?" He asked. Spiller blushed and quickly shook his head no. "sister? Fiancée?"

"Just good friend."

"Can she sing? Dance?" the borrower paused and looked Arrietty up and down. "_Entertain_?" Spiller's eyes narrowed and he put a protective arm around Arrietty's shoulders.

"I see." The old borrower said. "She can be a waitress during the week days, that'll cover your home's rent." Spiller looked to Arrietty.

"Ok with Arrietty?" he asked.

Arrietty quickly nodded. "I'll show you the apartment" the old man replied, grinning as he tucked the grape under his arm and pulled a key out of his pocket and led them up a staircase tucked behind a corner of the restaurant.

Arrietty followed quickly behind; eager to see the place she'd soon call home.

**I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry about how long it took me to finish this, but believe it or not I do have a life outside of fanfiction ha ha :). But with school, homework, friends and independent projects my life's been hectic, and it's taken a toll lately, for that I apologize. I'll try to update as quickly as I can. I truly do appreciate all of your support. Here's the R/R. **

**PessimistGirl: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.**

**Silvre-chan: Thank you! Fight sequences are always difficult for me to write, haha, and I plan on doing the Character Questions, so… yay? Ha ha thanks for reviewing.**

**Jeremy X: Thank you!**

**Krystyle: I hoped what you've seen of the city so far has live up to your expectations :)**

**kiara-is-me: Thank you for the feedback! I appreciate it, I'll be sure to either not switch the P.O.V's or lable who's P.O.V I'm writing in.**

**Important! So, for the next chapter you can ask one character a question and I will write the character's answer, you can ask in a review, I don't think I'll take PM's on this one. Sorry :( . But I look foreword to reading the questions! Please review! Thanks. **


	8. Home Away From Home

Chapter Seven: Home Away from Home

"Home sweet home." The old man rasped as he pushed the wooden door open. The front room was modest, with a single window that allowed 'sunlight' to fill the room. There was a round table with twigs used as legs and a red poker chip for the counter-top. To the right of the doorway there was a small kitchen with a small counter, and a wood stove. Arrietty had no idea how they'd managed to get such a thing, it looked like it had just been plucked out of a 'beans' house and shrunk to accommodate the borrowers.

"Are you just goin' to stand there, or are you going to look around?" The old man placed two keys on the kitchen counter. "Those are for the door." he explained, "to keep the prowlers out."

Arrietty nodded as he turned to leave. "Thank you Mr…"

"Nally." The old man finished. _Of course. _Arrietty internally chided, _it makes sense, he does own this place after all. _

The door clicked shut and Arrietty turned to see Spiller shifting his bags off his shoulders and onto the floor. He stretched his arms up above his head, trying to shake away the soreness in his back.

"Are you alright?" Arrietty asked, just a twinge of concern in her voice.

Spiller quickly nodded. "Just little tired." He assured.

Arrietty shrugged and moved through the apartment. There was a tiny bathroom, with barely enough room for a tub and a small bedroom with two beds, which were really just empty boxes with no lid filled with a single cushion.

It was plain, at least for now.

Arrietty walked over to the bag that sat in the middle of the living room and pulled out the wax, thread, and a pan she'd brought with her. She then used some of the wood stacked by the fireplace to light a fire.

She placed some of the wax in the pan and allowed it to melt, then held the thread erect in the soupy substance as she lifted it from the stove to the counter and waited for it to cool just enough for her to mold it into a cylindrical shape.

She continued to do this until all the wax had been used up. They still had some leftover strings so she looked up to see if Spiller would know what to do with them.

"Spiller-" She started only to have her words catch in her throat before they passed her lips.

He was slouched on the ground his form slumped against one of their bags. Most of the supplies had been unpacked and were sitting on the floor next to him. Arrietty slowly crept foreword until she was squatting in front of him.

His long, messy black hair hung over his closed eyelids that fluttered as he dreamt. Arrietty brushed some of the hair away from his eyes, and before she even realized what she was doing, she felt her hand rest on his soft cheek.

A heat rushed over her face and she quickly turned away, tucking her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Letting her chin rest on her hands, she allowed her head to tip just slightly to the side, giving her the perfect view of Spiller.

_He looks so young_. She thought as her eyes trailed up and down his face. It was so strange to see him look so safe and relaxed. All of a sudden, the world blacked out.

Arrietty jumped and immediately grabbed onto Spiller's arm. She felt him jolt awake and instinctively wrap his arm around her.

"What wrong?" he asked quickly, completely alert. Almost as if he'd never been asleep.

"I-it got dark all of a sudden." She replied, embarrassed by the fear she heard in her own voice.

Spiller made a deep sound from inside his throat, which Arrietty perceived as understanding. "Fake night." He said. Then Arrietty remembered. The borrowers had set up a switch that could turn the lights on and off in the city. She felt her cheeks sting with embarrassment. She'd woken him up for nothing.

She scooted away, quickly running her fingers through her hair. _It's dark, so it doesn't matter if it looks bad._ She thought, letting her hand fall to her side. Besides, it wasn't like she was trying to impress anyone- was she?

She felt a rough, warm hand slip into hers and pull her to her feet. She hadn't even heard Spiller had stand up. She accidentally bumped into his chest. She looked up and only saw darkness. She felt his breath on her face, sending shivers down her spine.

Spiller, seemingly not bothered by the intimacy, led her out of the dark room. Could she even call it that? Was being alone with Spiller considered intimacy? Probably not, besides, it wasn't like they were like that… He was like her brother, right?

_Brothers don't make you blush._ She thought offhandedly.

She heard the sound of curtains sliding open and felt her eyes widen. She had never seen anything quite like this.

Stringed lights hung above the streets, they were the same as the ones beans put on trees when it was wintertime. They set of a glow in the streets despite the darkness that completely surrounded the city or ally ways where the light didn't quite reach.

"Wow…" Arrietty breathed softly. They were like tiny little stars floating just above their heads, almost close enough to touch…

She pressed her fingertips against the cool glass of the window. _If only Shawn were here to see this… _She thought. Wait, had she just thought of Shawn? Arrietty's breath caught in her throat as her hand fell away from the window. A sudden sadness crept into her heart, pulling and tugging at the memories she'd tried to tuck away.

It had seemed like she'd been forgetting him, maybe even moving on… but now that she was standing here she felt the incredible desire to share the sight with him.

"Arrietty?"

Arrietty turned around, forcing a smile on her face. "Yes?"

Spiller's brows were knitted together with worry and he let his hand slip to the side of her pale cheek. It wasn't something that he would have normally done, but the look on her face had been one of pure… _sadness_.

Spiller didn't say anything, but Arrietty knew what he'd wanted to ask. Her heart beat quickly under the intensity of his gaze, so she quickly cleared her throat and turned towards the window again. "Could you take me out there?" She asked pointing to the glowing streets below.

Spiller, not forgetting the pained look Arrietty had worn just moments ago, gave her a grin. "Yes." He said, pushing the thought to the back of his mind.

He allowed his hand to fall to the small of her back. Arrietty felt a sudden sting in her chest, making her feel sick, almost how one felt after telling a lie. Arrietty shoved the feeling aside; it wasn't like she'd be seeing Shawn again anyways, so why did she still miss him. It had been so long… _does he even still think about me? _She wondered as Spiller led her out the front door.

Sho let the cool breeze lift the dark hair off his forehead as he leaned out his bedroom window. It took a deep breath, letting the clean air fill his lungs. It was always nights like these that made him think of Arrietty. He felt his hand creep up to the small red hairpin he wore clipped to a string.

She really had made him stronger. He smiled fondly at the memories of the small girl who'd given him hope in a time where hope had seemed like a child's dream. _I guess I am still a child… _He thought off handedly as he turned back to the window.

Little stars had begun to dot the slowly darkening sky, and a full moon had already risen.

He had a nice view from his room; in fact, it had been one of the only things he'd missed from his old house. Unfortunately, for most of his child hood, Shawn had been forced to live in the children's hospital.

_Tap tump. _

Shawn's head shot up. He scanned the room carefully. His mind had immediately gone to borrowers, _no… Arrietty said that there weren't that many left._ He thought quickly.

Sighing, he flopped down on his bed, the necklace with Arrietty's pin lying beside his face on the pillow.

_Arrietty…_ His heart clenched tightly at the thought of her. She was his first friend, and one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen in his life. Of course he'd known from the beginning that nothing like _that _would work out between them, but even so, he held a deep affection in his hear for Arrietty.

The tiny girl who'd somehow made his world grow large.

The sound of birds chirping filled Shawn's ears and the bright sunlight seemed to shine directly in his eyes.

With a yawn the boy sat up and stretched his arms, looking towards the still open window.

He felt his hand unconsciously creep up the cord around his neck. _Wait- _He thought. His heart began to hammer frantically and he clawed at the string. Searching.

"No…" He whispered despairingly, feeling tears sting his eyes. The hairpin was gone. Shawn leaped off the bed and crawled along the floor searching with his eyes and hands he clamored about. "No!" Shawn cried out when he realized the pin was not there.

He pressed his palms against his forehead. He'd had it last night, he was sure of it. Then… he'd heard a noise. Shawn's head shot up and he rose to his feet and stalked over to the windowsill.

When he saw the small tracks of dirt just the size to be tiny footprints he felt a sudden wave of anger. How could they take that pin from him! He clenched his fists as his fury dissipated almost as quickly as it had come.

A thick sadness weighed down heavily on him. He knew why they did it; they had to in order to survive. _But still. _He thought, digging his fingernails into the palm of his hand as the tears rolled down his cheeks. _How could they? _

**A/N: SALBFEBCABCA! I'm so sorry! D': I know I'm the worst person in the world for not updating this quickly, but unfortunately I've been having a lack of inspiration. Believe it or not I've been working on this chapter for MONTHS and the words just wouldn't flow. I kind of had to hack out this chapter for yoy, so I'm sorry that it's so short, but I really wanted to try to finish it for you guys. Again, I apologize; it's just been really hard for me to find time for writing lately. **

**Anyhow, just so you know, it may take me longer to update (like you guys haven't noticed yet, haha) And due to lack of inspiration I may have to work on other projects for a bit to get the creative juices flowing again. Just so you know, I'M NOT GIVING THIS STORY UP! I'll just be a bit slow at updates. **

**I also want you guys to know how much I appreciate each and every single one of you. From those who review to those that don't, I hope you know how much I love you! Thank you for your continued support as I continue to write this story :)**

**R/R: **

**yunadance6: I'm so glad you love it!**

**PessimistGirl: Yuuupppp, I wanted to show Arrietty that not **_**every **_**borrower is as kind as Spiller is…**

**Annab1119: Thank you for following!**

**wordsflowfreely: Here's the update –ducks behind desk- I'm sorry It's so late!**

**Anabelle9: Thank you! As for Shawn… well, you'll just have to keep reading to see how that developes… ;)**

**cjmej123: I'm glad you love it! (here's a new chapter that I hope you love as well :) **

**Dazh: (I'm replying to both your reviews here) I'm so sorry! Here's an update, and I hope it doesn't disappoint. Thanks for being so patient :) **

**Doodle0505: Thanks haha. I wish I wasn't one of the only people writing for them though… they really deserve more acknowledgements than they get… Thanks for the review :) **

**M.J. Ethreal: Thank you! And I agree the lack of stories for Spilletty is very upsetting : ( I'm so glad you think my story is well written, It means a lot to me. **

**Character Questions:**

**To Spiller: Will you tell Arrietty your feelings or ask Pod for her hand first?**

**Spiller- Ung! – looks away abruptly, trying to hide the growing blush on his dirt stained cheeks- Spiller… D- do not… **_**understand **_**what 'asking for hands' is…**

**A/N: Review! Critisism is welcome :) **


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